Fox's first appearance: Top law enforcement officials in Tennessee are warning that the violent Venezuelan gang Torren de Aragua is active and trafficking in the state. It's the latest indicator of the bloodthirsty gang's growing footprint.
“Over the past few months, intelligence has again come to light indicating they are operating in our state. They are operating in the field of human trafficking,” said David Rausch, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. “There is,” he said.
Mr. Rausch commented: “Unmute Marcia” Podcast with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). The video was shared with Fox News Digital. Blackburn noted the recent arrest in Tennessee of Torren de Aragua, a fugitive from Venezuela with a history of violent crimes.
EX-ICE official warns that Toren de Aragua is growing among us faster than violent rival gangs: “Eliminate now!''
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) spoke with TBI Director Rausch on the podcast “Unmuted.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Torren de Aragua is believed to have originated in the Tocolon prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua, and has since spread to Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.
Crime is believed to have increased sharply with the surge of Venezuelan immigrants to the United States. Numerous crimes have been linked to TdA in the past year in states including Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado and New York.
Rausch said his agents first encountered the gang in Tennessee in 2022, made an arrest in 2023, and over time encountered victims who provided further information about the gang's activities in Tennessee and across the country. He said he did. He left the state but later returned.
“What they're doing is they're taking these women, Venezuelan women, and bringing them into the country. They're smuggling them into the country. Some of them, I They will exploit our system and claim that they are infiltrating and escaping the dictatorship and the hardships that exist in Venezuela,” he said.
New report warns that bloodthirsty Venezuelan gangs' footprints will remain in US for 'decades'
Rausch said his agency conducted two large-scale operations to locate TdA members in the Nashville area. But he cautioned about the extent of their presence, saying it's not as intense as other states like Colorado.
“Just recently, when we expressed that we knew they were in Tennessee and operating in our major cities, it caused a lot of trouble and a lot of people were upset about it. They immediately started thinking, “This is'' TDA taking over apartment complexes, as we've seen in other cities. “We're not there yet, but we don't want to be there,'' he said.
These images from a CBP intelligence bulletin show Torren de Aragua's tattoos and identifiers. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected TdA members. (ice)
Rausch warned that gangs typically start with human trafficking, move on to other crimes such as organized retail crime and theft, then dabble in drug trafficking and become increasingly violent toward other cartels.
“We certainly don't want to see that anywhere in the country, but I don't want that to happen because my responsibility is primarily here in Tennessee. 'We know what they're doing and we've given them a warning.'We want to stop them at this point, as much as we can now,' he said.
For more information on the border security crisis, click here
Mr. Blackburn asked about solutions to the crisis and mentioned his bill. Cooperation with local law enforcement If you encounter criminal illegal immigration, report it to the federal government.
“If someone commits a crime in your country and is in your country illegally, obviously they need to be deported,” Blackburn said.
Rausch also pointed out that if migrants are not accepted, it may be difficult to return them to their countries of origin.
“What are we going to do with these people? What country they came from, a situation where we can't send them back, and until we figure that out, we're going to hold them in prisons here in the United States.” What is the answer?” ” he asked.
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The talks came ahead of what is expected to be a historic deportation operation by the incoming Trump administration. President Trump this week announced additional appointments to his Border Patrol team, including the selection of former Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
During the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump said he intended to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and eliminate them.all illegal immigrants A criminal network operating in the United States. ”
